Children and tarot

katep

I have 2 daughters who are 9 and 7. They have seen me use my tarot occasionally and they like to look at the pictures but I mostly use them when they are not around. Anyway my eldest is an extremely secretive Scorpio and having some trouble at school so I thought the tarot might be a way in.

I explained to her that the cards can help you remember things in your subconscious but said they don't always work so don't read too much into it. She was quite excited and I said a protection prayer first then let her shuffle the cards till they felt right. She actually said they made her hands feel warm when they were right - whether her imagination or the sign of a nascent psychic ability, I don't know! Anyway I interpreted the cards for her and they did indeed make sense and open a discussion which was easier because 'Mum' hadn't suggested something, 'the cards' had. She also had some quite intuitive interpretations too.

She hasn't asked to use them again and I think I'll keep it very infrequent but I was quite encouraged!
 

Tanga

That is so cool! :royal: :heart:
 

gregory

Sounds great. Lucky you. I recall a 3 y/o child of a member here who got a deck of her own, and was amazingly on target talking about the cards - could almost have been reading the LWB !

There is a lot of evidence that cards can help children with problems, actually - they use what they see to work stuff out. I have an autistic granddaughter and after I read that I mentioned it to her mother and (as she is VERY messy) I sent her mother - who has Cat People but the girl would hate that as she doesn't approve of animals in clothes...) Pagan Cats. She loves it, and spent a long time going through it - and the next time she was here started a LONG discussion about the one card that has no cat on it and the cards she liked best (which was very enlightening for me, actually...)

I am HUGELY in favour of letting children use cards if they show an interest. I don't do protection and stuff - and nor does my daughter - but that didn't seem to have mattered.
 

katep

Thanks both! I think this could prove a useful way into discussions as she gets older.

She has always been very good at reading people's emotions and feelings and I think she is pretty intuitive so I shouldn't be surprised she picked it up so easily.
 

Manfeex

Hey Katep!

I think it's lovely in how you have introduced tarots to your children!

I do have two boys ( 3 and 1) both of my boys have seen me doing tarot, but my eldest likes to get a card and do a runner so I have to chase him.

I would love my eldest to get into his tarots like me but I think he's to young. But I have been debating on the cherubs cards for children.. by Doreen virtue
 

Achlys

Sounds great. Lucky you. I recall a 3 y/o child of a member here who got a deck of her own, and was amazingly on target talking about the cards - could almost have been reading the LWB !

There is a lot of evidence that cards can help children with problems, actually - they use what they see to work stuff out. I have an autistic granddaughter and after I read that I mentioned it to her mother and (as she is VERY messy) I sent her mother - who has Cat People but the girl would hate that as she doesn't approve of animals in clothes...) Pagan Cats. She loves it, and spent a long time going through it - and the next time she was here started a LONG discussion about the one card that has no cat on it and the cards she liked best (which was very enlightening for me, actually...)

I am HUGELY in favour of letting children use cards if they show an interest. I don't do protection and stuff - and nor does my daughter - but that didn't seem to have mattered.

Agreed with this.
If anything, cards can work almost like ink blot tests by a psychologist. They open up a dialogue and can help a lot if a child is struggling.
Plus, children learn much quicker than adults so it may be a good idea to get them started early with tarot if they show an interest!
 

gregory

I don't actually think a dialogue is generally needed really; I'm not looking at this with a view to use by professionals of any kind. When I've seen children in action, they seem to work through their own issues with the cards and feel better for just having looked.

Rather like how (in the days we didn't clean them up so poor darling children didn't get FRIGHTENED...) fairy stories helped us to do that. Be terrified by goblins and get over some stuff IRL. The people who leave out the parts about Cinderella's sisters cutting their heels and toes off to try and fit into the shoes, and the wolf eating granny and Red Riding Hood, the end, have a hell of a lot to answer for.

Children know how to use the cards if we just give them a deck :) (Quote from the 3 y/o I cited earlier: "Where's that DEFF card I like so much.")
 

Manfeex

I don't actually think a dialogue is generally needed really; I'm not looking at this with a view to use by professionals of any kind. When I've seen children in action, they seem to work through their own issues with the cards and feel better for just having looked.

Rather like how (in the days we didn't clean them up so poor darling children didn't get FRIGHTENED...) fairy stories helped us to do that. Be terrified by goblins and get over some stuff IRL. The people who leave out the parts about Cinderella's sisters cutting their heels and toes off to try and fit into the shoes, and the wolf eating granny and Red Riding Hood, the end, have a hell of a lot to answer for.

Children know how to use the cards if we just give them a deck :) (Quote from the 3 y/o I cited earlier: "Where's that DEFF card I like so much.")

So you think 3 year olds would be okay with a deck?
only wondering as I do have 3 year old and I'm debating to give him one..
 

gregory

I wouldn't hesitate personally - though I have to add the caveat that you know your child better than I do ! And there WAS the 3 y/o here who wanted one and (with her mother's permission) I gave her one. She was fine with it; still loves and uses it - she's - quite old now ! Nearly 9 !

Also - certainly I would never give my granddaughter a fancy one. She loses things in her bedroom. It's TOTAL chaos. Which is why I gave the one we knew she would like to her MOTHER, so she could BORROW it }) That's something to think about.

Do you have any reason to think he wants one ? That's another thing - there's nothing worse than having your parents' interested forced on you. I have never fully warmed to art galleries, Dickens or Shakespeare as a result of that kind of thing - and I'm 72 now !
 

Manfeex

I wouldn't hesitate personally - though I have to add the caveat that you know your child better than I do ! And there WAS the 3 y/o here who wanted one and (with her mother's permission) I gave her one. She was fine with it; still loves and uses it - she's - quite old now ! Nearly 9 !

Also - certainly I would never give my granddaughter a fancy one. She loses things in her bedroom. It's TOTAL chaos. Which is why I gave the one we knew she would like to her MOTHER, so she could BORROW it }) That's something to think about.

Do you have any reason to think he wants one ? That's another thing - there's nothing worse than having your parents' interested forced on you. I have never fully warmed to art galleries, Dickens or Shakespeare as a result of that kind of thing - and I'm 72 now !

Oh no that makes sense!

Hmm... good question, when ever I get mine out he asks me what they are for, and then he snatches one or two saying they are mine now mummy.. If I was to get him one it would be the cherubs angel ones buy Doreen virtue..
I personally think no. Not yet but then I haven't asked him lol